Bulgaria's social assistance agency (ASP) has paid a one-off €50 to 439,996 people to help with higher fuel and food prices, the agency said. Nearly €22m has been paid out in total under the government's "Inflation Cheque" programme. See our original report: One-off €50 payment for people below the poverty line starts today.
People who gave ASP a bank account number have already received the money. Those who collect their benefits at a post office can pick it up until 26 October.
People who missed the deadline for a good reason can collect the money between 16 and 26 November or between 15 and 23 December.
The payment goes to people with incomes below the poverty line, those who get targeted winter heating aid, orphans, and children in foster families or raised by relatives. It also goes to young people leaving residential social care, families with disabled children, and war invalids and war-wounded veterans.